In a development certain to make Nevada resort owners grind their teeth in envy, cannabis is predicted to be this year’s wellness trend. As you know, Nevada gaming regulators have hung a “Do Not Enter” sign on the recreational-marijuana industry and casinos dare not going tiptoeing through the loco weed. “Now, in 2019, it could potentially become the most-used wellness product,” writes Mark Grenoble. “That’s thanks in part due to the recent passing of the Farm Bill, which will make it easier for farmers to grow hemp (a type of cannabis) and removes hemp from the federal controlled substances list. Anxiety, insomnia, nausea, epileptic seizures, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and chronic pain are listed among the things that could be treated with medicinal Mary Jane. Trust me, if I lived in Nevada still I’d be asking my doctor for CBDs.
But where the gaming industry’s hand is stayed out of fear of federal intervention, non-gaming hotels and spas in the Silver State are free to experiment with loco weed. Restaurants, too, can catch a buzz. Meanwhile, casinos are missing the curl of the wave. “During times of negative mood, society’s priorities shift,” says the Socionomics Institute‘s Chuck Thompson. “People have other, bigger worries and begin to view recreational drugs as less dangerous, even innocuous.” (Significantly, President George H.W. Bush‘s infamous “War on Drugs” stemwinder came when the stock market was riding a seven-year high.) If the Dow Jones average metamorphoses into a bear market, look for more states to join the 33 that have legalized medicinal marijuana and the 10 that have also approved recreational wacky tebaccy. Says Thompson, “When negative social mood finally does bring the drug war to an end, marijuana will play an increasing role as a tax-generating industry in the United States and elsewhere.” We think the Nevada Gaming Control Board should take a cannabis-infused chill pill and relax the pot-in-casinos ban.
* New American Gaming Association President Bill Miller, in his first extensive public statement, sent an open letter to Congress, one that was quick to mention that the gaming industry generates $41 billion in tax revenue and supports nearly 2 million 
jobs. “With operators and suppliers in 42 states, few industries employ as diverse a workforce as gaming, with workers in more than 200 job classifications, including high-tech, engineering, software development and law enforcement. Thirty-eight percent of gaming’s workforce is composed of racial or ethnic minority employees – eleven percent more than the U.S. population,” Miller wrote. He gently advised congressmen that federal oversight of legal sports betting is “unwarranted at this time,” advising the feds to bend their energies toward illegal sports books.
Miller also called for streamlining of anti-money-laundering procedures, including a “SAR-little” that would make suspicious activities easier to report. In a more headline-making statement, he called for raising the ‘IRS lockdown’ on reportage of gambling jackpots from $1,200 to $5,000, noting the amount of manpower and paperwork this would save. He also advocated making interest-deductibility permanent. Miller favors continuing “reasonable immigration policy that enhances economic growth and security” but opposes — no surprise here — the Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste depositor y.(I almost did a Chic Hecht and typed “suppository.) If one were expecting a sudden divergence from Geoff Freeman‘s priorities at the AGA, they were greatly disappointed. Personally, we heave a sigh of relief.
* Casino revenues in Missouri dipped last month, down almost 4%. “Adverse weather” was blamed. People sure didn’t feel like going to Mark Twain Casino, cartwheeling 19.5% to $2 million. They weren’t crazy either about Isle of Capri Cape Boonsville, 
plummeting 14% to $5 million. Other than that, outstate casinos did fine, Eldorado Resorts was in luck at Lady Luck, up 11.5% to $3 million, Isle of Capri Cape Girardeau hopped 5% to $5 million and St. Jo Frontier rose 3% to over $3 million. Harrah’s North Kansas City was flat at $12.5 million, as was Argosy Riverside. Isle of Capri Kansas City sank 9.5% to $5 million and Ameristar Kansas City came in with $14 million, a 6% slippage. Even with a 5% decline Ameristar St. Charles (pictured) led the state with $19 million, while nearby Hollywood St. Louis was down 7.5% to $16.5 million. Lumiere Place actually gained 2% for a $12.5 million finish while River City was down 3% to $16 million.
* Casino developers in Japan had better be prepared to build Nippon’s largest hotels. The biggest currently is Tokyo Dome Hotel with 105,856 square meters of floor space. The government says integrated resorts must be of “substantially” more than 100,000 square meters.
*
It seems like everyone forgets that if your sitting next to someone, or even near them, who’s smoking pot, you could get high or at least fail a drug test. There are certain jobs that I wouldn’t want people to be high on. Also, there is still the matter of second hand smoke, and I’ve never heard of anyone getting drunk by watching someone else drink, and, a person can have more than one drink and not be drunk, can you say the same thing about marijuana. If you want to smoke it, fine, but don’t do it around other people in public places.
Here is a grassroots report about Canaibis in Las Vegas: it’s booming! During a very slow week, per-big game in Las Vegas, the only places with crowds were a couple of dispensaries near the North Strip. Yes, I was a buyer. The whole process for an out-of-stater took about an hour, so the Manager literally tossed in a few joints for $1 each. The nearby SLS, which looked morbid, should wake up and give people an actual reason to stay there and be weed friendly with free bong hits everday at 4:20 PM and AM.